In this first class of the series, Pat Germschied will take us back to the beginning when Canada was being settled. She will teach the art of preserving and “putting by” the produce and fruit from our gardens. Time 1:30 – 3:30 m. Cost $35 with lunch

October 17th.

“The Art of Chinese Cuisine”

Li Ping, originally from China will take us on a culinary journey to China as she creates her countries cuisine in this first series. Time 1:30 – 3:30 pm Cost, $35 with lunch

October 24th,

The Art of Coast Salish Native Cuisine”

Using her Native culture as her guide, Gloria Norris, will teach the art of preparing and smoking a salmon. Time 1:30 – 3:30 pm. Cost $35 with lunch

November 7th.

“Art of Canadian Heritage Cuisine”

In this second series Pat Germschied will teach the art of making soups and stews.

Land managers, stakeholders, interested organizations and landowners are invited to attend a meeting in Sechelt on Thursday October 28th. The objectives of this meeting are to: increase awareness of invasive plant issues and coordinated management approaches along the Sunshine Coast, share information about invasive plant activities already occurring in region, discuss areas for improvement and identify the level of interest in joining with or forming a regional invasive plant committee.

Where: Seaside Centre 5790 Teredo Street, Sechelt

When: 9:30am - 3:30pm on Thursday October 28th (refreshments and lunch to be provided)

The Islands Agri-Food Initiative (IAFI) was started in 2001, to encourage the development of a viable and sustainable agri-food sector on Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Powell River. Funding is available to groups, societies and organizations based in the areas served by the initiative for projects that fit at least one of the initiative’s four strategic priorities:

1. To enhance market and product development and promotion of the agri-food industry.

A majority of our 2010 Conference Presentations are now available on our website under Events and News

VEGGIE, POULTRY AND SMALL ANIMAL SWAP that has started up at the Lighthouse Community Center on Lions Way in Qualicum Bay. There is an indoor swap meet and Pancake Breakfast from 9am - 1pm and an outdoor farmers market (including live poultry) that runs from 10am till 1pm. The contact person is Sheena McCorquodale 250-757-9991

Ranchers hope the B.C. government will help assist them with forage and fence rehabilitation in the aftermath of the forest fires in the Cariboo Chilcotin.

Ranchers met with Cariboo North MLA Bob Simpson and MLA Lana Popham, the Opposition critic for the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, last week to discuss the help they need.

Duncan Barnett, president of the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association, says one of the biggest issues is forage and fence rehabilitation.

“Without those fences, ranchers have no ability to manage their livestock,” Duncan says, adding that not only does a loss of fencing cause herds to mix with each other, but it also causes forage issues. “You can’t manage the livestock so they use the forage properly.”

He says ranchers want the provincial government to help get the fences rebuilt, otherwise ranching businesses will be put at risk.

“They’ve lost a lot of their fall forage this year,” he says, adding that unless fences are replaced for next year, ranchers will face major problems.

He says there is emergency response funding in place, but it’s not yet known if the funding can be used to help the ranchers replace the lost fences.

“We basically have businesses that have lost the infrastructure that they need to operate, and if we can’t get it replaced, then obviously those businesses are in serious trouble.”

He says the government needs to either provide some funding to rebuild the range infrastructure that’s been lost or emergency/disaster relief funding needs to be used.

Ranchers are also dealing with lost forage that was burnt up in the forest fires. Not only does the grass need to be re-seeded so there is forage supply, but also so invasive weeds don’t move in.

Ranchers also have a number of suggestions for the future, he says, including using local people who can provide equipment and their knowledge of the area and dealing with fires when they start. Barnett says ranchers and the ministries of forest and environment also need to work together to ensure ecologically sound seeds that also suit the natural environment are planted.

Cariboo Chilcotin MLA Donna Barnett attended a meeting two weeks ago in Alexis Creek, where she met with ranchers to hear their concerns about the devastation caused from the fires.

“We are working on the analysis on what has happened to the fencing, the cattle, to the grasslands, all of those types of things,” she says. “We are working with the communities on a mitigation plan.”

She says she also went on a two- to three-hour tour to see the devastation for herself, and has also met with individuals throughout the Cariboo Chilcotin to discuss the forest fires and other issues.

Simpson and Popham, who had also met with the Ministry of Forests and Range in Williams Lake, said they will discuss the issues with the Minister of Agriculture.

“We heard (from ranchers) that the Minister of Agriculture needs to champion this,” Popham said. “We can make a push for that.”

Simpson said the loss of forage could be the last straw for ranchers already suffering challenges to the industry.

Alexis Creek resident and rancher Bev Madley is the president of the Chilcotin Stockmen’s Association, an organization that falls under the Cariboo Cattlemen’s Association.

“Out here, there were seven members of our association that were affected by the wildfires,” Madley says. “In the run of all of these fires, we lost a lot of fence.”

She says the government has agreed to reseed and rehabilitate the CAT guards that were built on the ranges in the Bull Complex area.

She says the ranchers also want the fences replaced, soon.

“These are boundaries between people with different breeding programs,” she says, adding the fences also provide barriers between pastures that are rotated to keep the range in good condition.

She notes the firefighters did a good job, but says the management of the fires could have been done differently.

“Those fires were allowed to run, and they didn’t get anybody on them to put them out until they became quite large and quite dangerous and somewhat unmanageable,” she says.

If and when money is provided to replace the fences, she says ranches would like them built on large right-of-ways so there is exposed soil that would serve as fire breaks.

A meeting between the ranchers and government field officials was to be held at Madley’s home last night, after press deadlines.

A new report from the Auditor General shows how the B.C. government is undermining the Agricultural Land Reserve and leaving B.C.’s valuable farmland at risk of being lost forever.

As we face an increasing population and the impact of climate change, it is more important than ever to promote local food production and develop the green jobs that our agricultural sector has to offer.

But instead of listening to British Columbians who are saying they want to see more local food in their grocery stores, this report shows the B.C. Liberals have been undermining the Agricultural Land Reserve.

Graph from Report

The report notes despite the fact that 95 per cent of British Columbians support the ALR, the amount of agricultural land in the ALR on the south coast has declined by eight per cent and the amount of agricultural land in the ALR on Vancouver Island has declined by 13 per cent since the reserve was created by the then-New Democrat government in 1973.

Less than five per cent of British Columbia’s land base is suitable for agriculture, which is why we must protect the farmland we have, especially in the face of an increasing population and a changing climate,” said Popham. “British Columbians want access to fresh food from local farmers. It’s time for the B.C. Liberal government to listen up and stop undermining the ALR.

The Auditor General’s report also notes that the B.C. Liberals have cut the budget for the Agricultural Land Commission by more than 28 percent since 2002.

The commission doesn’t have the resources it needs to ensure it fulfills its mandate of preserving productive farmland, let alone the staff to dedicate to enforcement and evaluation of the hundreds of applications that come to the commission every year.

If protecting our agricultural resources was important to the B.C. Liberals, they’d start by ensuring the commission had the resources it needs to protect the ALR.

Hi, my name is Lana Popham, I’m the Agriculture Critic and the MLA for Saanich South.

Before I was elected, I worked on my farm for over a decade…while at the same time fighting for food security and sustainable food production.

I left a job that I loved and that inspired me every day to enter provincial politics and to take on the role as Agriculture Critic. A job that disappoints me every day…because I don’t understand why we have to fight for farming in British Columbia.

Building capacity for vehicles at all costs will never stop unless we stop doing it. Our quality of life will continue to decrease as we increase the capacity for vehicles. To remove productive agricultural land to make room for cars is unacceptable.

The ALR was put in place to protect our food growing capacity. Without it we would see little to no farming in this area [Langley] and we wouldn’t be here tonight fighting for the Hudson’s Bay Farm. Because it wouldn’t exist.

Why was this land so important back when the ALR was created but not now? It’s because the creators of the ALR - like Harold Steves - looked at our future with unselfish eyes. Agriculture has seen the lowest level ever in BC history in the past provincial budget. And that includes the budget for the ALC.

Agriculture and food production are the lowest priority for the BC government and vehicles and carbon-emitting modes of transportation are one of the highest. With this equation, It’s hard to see when these types of proposals will stop.

At a time when we know climate change will affect our ability to source food, we don’t have a made-in-BC food security plan. We seem to be setting ourselves up to be absolutely dependent on imported goods. Why? We have so much potential. The BC food self-sufficiency study that the government produced – showing that we need to increase our food producing capacity – was shelved. We have a BC Agriculture Plan, but we can’t use it because the Ministry is under-funded.

Without a plan, will we end up developing every last acre of farmland? Decisions like the one that is before us tonight, the decision to split up this valuable farm, has far-reaching implications that must be seriously considered. We have a responsibility to our future generations to ensure that we have food security in this region and Hudson’s Bay Farm is part of the solution.

We need to look at these problems with the same eyes that the creator of the ALR used. I want the ALC to fulfill its mandate to preserve farmland and not to take away our ability to feed ourselves.

My final point is a question: what is the end-game? What is the final outcome that we expect from chopping up farmland to make room for vehicles?

It is about our future survival or is it about a short-sighted plan that is unsustainable and irreversible.

Lana Popham, Incumbent & Candidate for Saanich South MLA

Welcome!

I've worked hard as the Official Opposition Critic for Agriculture over the last four years. This blog was created to help track my work so interested folks can see what I'm up to.

I'm not able to update it as often as I would like but it will give you a good sampling of my work.

During the dissolution of the BC Legislature (April 16 - June 5, 2013) this site will be shut down. Some content may remain visible as part of the public record of my past work but other content will be unvailable and/or links may be broken.

You can reach me at info@lanapopham.ca or visit my website at lanapopham.ca.